


"A Rose by Any Other Name"

by valleya



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27277921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valleya/pseuds/valleya
Summary: In the midst of a spat between Rogue and Gambit, the team leaves on a mission to check out a strange energy source. What happens next puts practically everyone's life in danger and opens a new mystery for the team to uncover.
Relationships: Remy LeBeau/Rogue
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

"Oh, Sugah, ya didn't have to do that," Rogue said, taking the single red rose from Gambit's hand, inhaling the flower's sweet scent, "But Ah thank ya kindly for the gesture."

Rogue was a petite powerhouse from the deep South with dazzling red hair and green eyes. Her dinner date, Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, bowed deeply. He was six foot four inches tall with a mop of brown hair. He was from New Orleans and the bayou of Louisiana, and it echoed in his accent. He typically wore the clothes of his kinsmen, a long brown leather jacket with many pockets for holding objects and special gloves designed to help a member of the Thieves ply their trade. 

Gesturing with one hand, Gambit said, "Tell me what ya want, _chere_ , and Gambit will get it fer ya. The moon, a star, my love..."

Rogue shook her head and wrapped her arm around LeBeau's, and they resumed their stroll through Greenwich Village. "Ah swear, swamp-rat, ya sure do know how to fill a girl's head with romance."

Their dinner at a lovely intimate bistro had been wonderful, but walking under the stars with the woman he loved was so much better. He felt like pinching himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Rogue pulled Remy from his inner revelry as she brushed the soft rose petals under his chin. "Earth to Gambit," she said softly.

Remy blinked and looked at her. Rogue leaned deeper into Remy's hold as she grinned at him. "Ya was a million miles away."

"Sorry, _chere,_ I was jus' enjoying our time alone," he murmured, closing his eyes as he tightened his hold on her, nuzzling his chin in her hair. "Now, ya have Gambit's undivided attention. 

He heard Rogue sigh contentedly and he kept talking. "After all, it's not every day dat ya have a birthday," he said, stopping on the sidewalk amidst the evening foot traffic. He pulled back enough to look into her green eyes. "Gambit have a present for ya." 

He handed her a small wrapped box. She smiled with a sigh and a shake of her head, and walked over to a bus stop to sit down on a bench. He followed her over, sitting beside her.

"What have ya gone and done now?" she whispered, still holding the gift, but hadn't moved to open it. "Ah really can't accept this, Remy."

Remy placed his hand over her gloved hand. "Please, chere, let Gambit have some pleasures in dis life. It be jus' a gift. Nothing fancy, I swear. At least, not de type of gift ya really deserve."

Rogue opened the wrapping paper and bit her lip as she stared at the small gray velvet box. 

"Go on, _chere_ , open it. Gambit promise it won't bite."

She opened the box and gasped as she viewed the sparkling emerald set in white gold with delicate details around its outer edge. The emerald picked up the various lights from the busy street and reflected them upon one another until it was shimmered in a glory of its own making.

"Oh, Gambit, Ah can't – Ah mean, this is too nice for a simple gal like me."

Gambit shook his head and pulled the ring from the box in Rogue's left hand. He picked up her right hand and slipped the ring over her gloved finger. "It be perfect fer ya, Rogue. It matches dose beautiful green eyes of yours."

Tears formed in her eyes and soon bubbled over. He brushed away the lingering moisture with the gloved fingers of his hands. "Don't cry, Rogue. Ya know Gambit can't take dat," he whispered.

Rogue looked so delicate, so very fragile in that moment, it was hard to remember she could do a variety of miraculous feats, including the ability to fly, possessing great strength, and invulnerability among others. He stared into her tear-filled eyes and was lost in her emerald gaze, bedazzled by her beauty much like the emerald ring had enthralled her moments before.

Without realizing it, he drew closer to her as his lips sought hers. He could feel her breath upon his skin and paused to inhale the subtle scent of her perfume as it mixed with her body's chemistry to create its own unique fragrance that was Rogue's and Rogue's alone. 

For a split second, it was a spell that held him enchanted until he focused again on her lips, and he was drawn to them like a moth was to a flame, but the magic of the moment was broken when Rogue pulled away from him suddenly.

"What, _chere_? What did Gambit do?" he asked as she stood and stormed away from him.

She spun around, anger now flashing in eyes that once held the sparkle of love. "Ya know full well what ya did! If Ah hadn't pulled away, ya would'a tried to kiss me! Do ya have a death wish or somethin'?"

Remy stood and shook his head slightly. "No, I'm jus' a man in love wit' his woman. What's so wrong wit' dat, _chere_?" 

Rogue clenched her fists at her side as she took several steps away. "Of all the danged fool things to say – Ah swear Gambit, when will ya get it through that thick skull of yours that Ah can't touch ya without hurting ya – without stealin' your energy away from ya? Ah can't touch ya! Not now, not ever!"

Remy took a step toward her, knowing the next few moments were critical. He could either calm her anger or lose her to it. He licked his lips. "Too late, _chere_ , you've already touched me, in my heart and soul. Dat's de only place dat really matters."

He took another step closer to her and her anger seemed to dissipate with his words. Remy continued with a low, husky voice, one that he hoped would serenade away her doubts and fears. "Rogue – I know how de loneliness eats ya up inside like a cancer, but I been touchin' people all of my life... and nobody's ever gotten under my skin de way ya have."   
  
Rogue lifted her tear-filled gaze up to look Remy deep in the eyes. Though she hadn't said a word, he knew he was casting a spell over her, one of love and devotion. Now, she was hanging on to his every utterance like a life line. He put his arms around her.

" _Chere_ , I don't need to touch ya to feel your sweet love. Dat won't ever keep dis gambler away from ya. And who knows, we might even be able find a way fer us to truly touch some day. Rogue, I'll take dose kinda odds anytime. Wit' your tender love to guide us, we can do anythin' together." 

He knew in an instant that he'd said the wrong thing. He had her in his arms, but she was no longer under his spell. Now, she was in a furious rage, one that he had created. She pulled away from him and stormed away. "Gambit, why do we play this game? We can never really be together! Why don't ya just forget me and move on with your life?"

"I guess ya don't see dat ya are my life," he started in a hoarse whisper, his voice revealing the depth of his emotion, "Wit'out ya, dere be no future fer Gambit."

Rogue looked ready to explode. "Remy, how can ya be so danged practical in every other aspect of your life, but ya keep chasing rainbows when it comes to me? This ain't productive. It just makes both us of ache with frustration and pain. Ah can't – no, Ah won't – see ya wastin' your life away fer someone ya can't even touch!"

"Rogue, dis isn't wastin' my life, not wit' de kinda magic we had goin' tonight, at least up until to a few moments ago. Ya gotta see dat Gambit loves ya. How can dat be wrong?" he whispered as he approached her with his hands out from his sides in a visual plea for understanding.

"Love? How can ya be talkin' about love? Damn your stubborn Cajun heart! Ah never once said Ah was in love with ya and Ah never will. Not as long as we can't really touch one another. To do that would be to play a fool's game and Ah'm no fool!" 

She walked up to him, and placed the ring into his gloved hand. Remy started to say something to her, but Rogue simply turned and took off, dropping the rose and the box the ring had come in as she hastened to depart. Remy bent down to pick up the abandoned items as he watched her streak away from sight, feeling a little abandoned himself.

He stared at the ring in his hand, wondering how things could have gone so badly when only a minute before, there had been such electricity flowing between them. He knew Rogue had felt it, too. She had to – Gambit couldn't possibly be that far off track without sensing her true feelings and desires.

He sighed. There were people all around him – some had stopped to watch Rogue fly away in disbelief, and others who hadn't noticed, missing the impossible occurring right under their noses. Gambit shook his head, thinking he had never felt more alone in a crowd of people as he did right then. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

"This is most interesting," Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, said to Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, as he worked on his computer. Hank's mutant genes caused him to grow blue fur that covered his body. He was quite strong with a rugged physique that belied his scientist's persona.

The blonde-headed Bobby was sitting beside him in the war room with his feet propped up as he read the newspaper. He seemed small compared to Hank, but his mutant power to generate ice from the moisture in the air was anything but small. 

"You said it, Hank. It's hard to believe there can be such idiots in the world! I mean, rafting down a raging river in the middle of the worst rain storm in years? All that did was ruin the day for the rescue people, endangering their lives while trying to save them. What a pain in the – "

"While I'm sure the paper is full of the bizarre and ridiculous, nothing is more bizarre than these energy readings I'm detecting with Cerebro's latest upgrade," Hank said as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

Bobby sat up and glanced over to the monitor Hank McCoy was looking at. "Where?"

"It's near Angkor Wat in Cambodia."

"What's causing it?"

"I have no idea," Hank said with awe in his voice, "but I'd like to examine the site firsthand."

"Examine what, Hank?" Scott Summers, otherwise known as Cyclops, asked from the doorway. He was one of the co-leaders of the mutant superhero team called the X-Men.

Hank turned toward him. "Take a look at these readings, Scott. I just finished calibrating Cerebro with the upgrade in Shi'ar technology and this popped up."

Scott looked at the monitor and frowned. "You've double-checked the readings?"

Hank nodded. "Triple-checked them, in fact."

Scott sighed. "So much for a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon. Better suit up. We're going on a road trip. I'll contact the others."

"I'm sure it is something Bobby and I can handle on our own, Scott. There is no need for a full crew."

Scott scratched at his forehead. "You're probably right as usual, Hank, but there have been reports of unexplained disappearances in that area for many years. I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Want some company?" Warren Worthington, codename Angel, asked as he leaned on the doorjamb. Warren was tall, blonde and known for his good looks and charisma.

The three original X-Men spun around and broad smiles graced their faces as they caught a glimpse of their old friend. 

"Warren, I didn't know you were going to stop by today," Scott said as he shook Warren's hand.

"I didn't either until a few hours ago when I got this mysterious urge to visit my old buddies."

Bobby smirked. "You have another blowout with Betsy?"

Betsy Braddock was also a mutant, known as Psylocke, who lived with Warren in their penthouse suite in New York City and their relationship had had its ups and downs ever since they first got together. The two loved each other, but both were volatile personalities. 

Warren's relaxed expression quickly changed. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Why does love have to be so damned complicated?"

Hank patted Worthington on the shoulder. "Well, if it was easy, everybody would be in love. You are at the whims of fate and your lady love, my friend."

Sighing deeply, Warren looked at Scott. "So, where are you going? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but frankly I could use a little action right now."

Scott smiled. "How long has it been since you've been to Cambodia?"

Warren's grin grew. "Sounds like just my cup of tea."

"The whole mission might be a wash. It's not like we are scrambling to stop Magneto from killing all the humans in the world," Hank quipped as he bounced on his toes.

"Well, I'm up for it, if for no other reason than to visit with my old buddies."

"It is always good to see you, Warren. I must warn you that when traveling with Bobby, it becomes more of an adventure than a trip," Hank said with a mock sigh of longsuffering. 

Bobby patted Hank on the back of his shoulder. "Come on, you like our little adventures, fur face."

"Warren, see what you are missing by not being here on a regular basis? Bobby is an adventure all unto himself," he said with a smirk.

"Hey, I'll take that as a compliment! Last one to the Blackbird has to do the dinner dishes!"

With that, Bobby dashed out the door.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Remy hadn't seen Rogue since their dinner date. He knew he had wounded Rogue badly, and thereby wounded himself, but it was something much worse than simply shooting himself in the foot. He could deal with that kind of embarrassment, but to hurt Rogue's feelings was a situation he just couldn't tolerate.

He walked down toward the small man-made lake at the far end of Professor Xavier's property as he juggled four apples. He had a good rhythm going as he squatted down to sit on the dock, and then dangled his feet close to the water as he increased the speed of the apples.

Juggling was basically an experiment in math. Once the sequence was established, it was simply a matter of being in the right position to keep the momentum going. Maybe that was what was wrong between Rogue and him. Every time they had some momentum going, something always happened to make him fumble the catch.

He sighed, suddenly bored with the snazzy handwork, but continued it anyway. Juggling kept his fingers nimble, and it provided a good distraction from the memory loop playing in his head. Each time Rogue took to the skies from that street in New York in tears, he felt another sliver of his heart die. 

* _Watch de apples, Remy_ ,* he warned himself, * _And stop t'inking so much abou' Rogue. Dat will get ya nowhere but heartache_.*

Scott's voice came over Remy's comm-badge, startling Remy and he dropped three of the apples into the water. Cursing as he stood, he responded by telling Summers he was on his way. Taking a bite from the one apple he had left, he headed back to the mansion and thought, * _Dis sure ain't gonna be a fun trip if Rogue is still mad at me._ * 

**oOoOoOoOo**

Rogue was the last to board the Blackbird. She wouldn't meet Remy's gaze, but she felt his eyes watching her every move. Instead of sitting in the empty chair beside him, she opted to sit beside Jubilee, or Jubilation Lee. She knew her eyes were red and swollen from her extended crying siege the night before, but there wasn't anything she could do to hide it. 

Logan, a Canadian also known as Wolverine, eyed her with concern as she passed by him. He reached out and took her gloved hand in his. He whispered, "Are ya okay, darlin'?"

Rogue pulled her hand away from his light touch and nodded. "Yeah, Ah'm fine, Logan."

Logan didn't say anything more as Rogue sat down. Remy could almost hear the gears turning in Logan's head. Remy felt Logan's angry glare with the intensity of a father accusing his daughter's suitor of improprieties. Jubilee, their teenage mutant teammate, gave Rogue a worried glance, but Rogue simply stared off into the distance, not really wanting to talk to anyone. Jubilee was of Asian descent. She almost sounded like an adult as she said,"Why don't you just stay home for this one?"

Rogue shook her head. The thought of sitting around the mansion doing nothing held little appeal for her.

Once they were under way, Rogue distracted herself by listening to the conversation going on at the front of the plane. Warren sat in the copilot's seat and Scott was piloting the plane with Hank sitting in the passenger seat behind them. Jean sat beside Hank, but then she turned and looked directly at Rogue, concern marking her features.

_Oh, good grief, now Ah've popped on Jean's radar_ , Rogue thought as she glanced away from Jean's gaze. Jean was a powerful psychic, among other mental powers.

Hank spoke up, directing Rogue back to the mission at hand. "If this energy source is as powerful as these readings indicate, it might be something we could harness for our own use."

Scott nodded. "Maybe so, Hank, but that energy spike might be readings from a weapon or something equally as dangerous. This mission is solely for information. Once we have a better understanding of what we are dealing with, we can plan what to do with it."

Hank sighed, but nodded in agreement. Rogue leaned forward. "What type of energy source is it, Cyclops?"

Scott shrugged. "I'm not sure, Rogue. The source can't be clearly identified by any of the Shi'ar devices we have, although they do register the intensity of the energy quite high."

Warren glanced back at her. "That's what's got Slim's underwear in a bunch. It can potentially be used as a weapon as well as a power source, but something just doesn't seem right here. Why would a reading of this magnitude register in a tourist attraction built nine hundred years ago?"

Hank nodded. "It‛s not at Angkor Wat per se. It‛s a couple of thousand meters away from it.

Hank leaned forward and shot Scott a worried glance. "It might be a secret research project of some sort."

Scott shrugged. "It might be nothing or it might be trouble. The only way to know for sure is doing what we planned to do, namely checking it out for ourselves. I'll park the Blackbird as inconspicuously as possible. Doesn't look like there's many people out this way. Probably because of the legends of the past with people disappearing mysteriously." 

Rogue sat back in her seat and closed her eyes as the others continued to debate the issue. Her thoughts kept wandering to the events of the previous evening. Everything had been so magical up to the point where Remy almost kissed her. She felt a wave of guilt knowing she'd have let him kiss if he hadn't paused for that split second.

A tear slipped out from her closed eyes and she brushed it away in irritation, and then felt Jubilee's hand on her arm. "You okay, Rogue?" she asked in a whisper.

Rogue opened her eyes to see Jubilee handing her a tissue. She took it without comment and wiped at the well of unshed tears brimming from her eyes. When Jubilee sat there, clearly awaiting an explanation, Rogue added, "Ah'm fine, darlin'. Don't ya worry about me."

Jubilee leaned closer to her. "You don't look fine. You look like you've been up all night crying. And I'm not the only one to notice it."

Rogue started to glance around, but stopped herself. She didn't need to see the looks of concerned friends. She shook her head, pushing her emotions back deep inside. After all, she was on a mission and couldn't allow them to interfere with her work. Playing with the tissue, Rogue said, "It's nothin' really, Jubilee, but thanks for the concern."

She closed her eyes again and pretended to doze in the quiet of the journey. Rogue shifted in her seat, tired of hiding out from the others and opened her eyes. She hadn't planned on looking in Remy's direction as she moved, but he was all she saw before her gaze darted away.

Remy looked like he hadn't gotten any more sleep last night than she had. There was something about his pained expression that stabbed at Rogue's heart, and she knew he was hurting just as much as she was, maybe more gauging by the guilt radiating from his fire-red eyes. 

Rogue turned away from him, only to face Jubilee's worried expression again. Good Lord Almighty, there was no place to sit where she could be alone. She couldn't escape the concern of others, just like she couldn't escape the angst in her own heart.

Rogue was about to ask Hank to open the rear escape hatch when Scott spoke up, "We're here, folks. Remember to stay within visual range of at least one of us at all times. I'm still leery of the reports of missing people. I want us to all go home together. 

"We‛ve detected there are four separate entrances, so we will approach the energy source from each one of them to explore more of the area faster. Nobody moves without a partner and nothing is touched until we determine the site is secured."

"When do we have recess, Teacher? Can I be the line captain this time?" Logan taunted by the rear of the plane. "I bet ya want us to hold hands, too."

Scott glared at Logan before answering. "Funny, Wolverine, but I'm dead serious. I want each of us to stay close to their team mates. There's something about this place that worries me."

"Whatever," Logan muttered as he unhooked his safety belt.

"We'll break into four teams, and approach the source of the energy readings from different directions. I'll drop the teams at their respective positions. Fan out from there using the tracking devices and report in if you see anything unusual."

"It's time to get this show on the road," Rogue said with more confidence than she felt.

Soon, each team was on their way to their specific location to search. Jubilee went with Logan and Remy while Scott, Warren, and Jean teamed up. The third team was Beast and Storm, leaving Rogue to join the search with Bobby.

After they were alone, Bobby took one look at her and shook his head, extending his arms out to her. Rogue sighed and moved into his comforting embrace. Bobby had been like a brother to her and always seemed to be around when she needed him most. 

"What's happened now, Rogue?" he asked after she stopped crying.

"It's not important now, Bobby. Ah just needed a hug. Now, we better start trackin' that power source before the others discover we've been loiterin' instead'a workin'."

Rogue started to walk away, but Bobby stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Rogue, I know it's more than that. One look at you says it was something major. Another glance at Remy would seal the deal. You both look like you've gone the rhetorical nine rounds with Apocalypse. Now, what did Gambit do this time?"

Rogue shook her head and tears welled up in her eyes as she responded with anger. "Why are people so all-fired determined to blame Gambit first? You have no idea of what happened, Bobby. What if it was me that did somethin' wrong? Would ya be as fast to console him?"

Bobby smiled sadly. "Well, maybe, but it wouldn't be like comforting you. We have a close relationship. Gambit tolerates me. I can't imagine me giving LeBeau a big hug or him hugging anyone except for you."

He chuckled to himself. "Rogue, maybe it's the fact that Gambit's wearing his guilt on his sleeve. At the moment, both of you could pass for mourners at a funeral. Call me silly, but I know nobody else gets under your skin like he does. Heck, he gets under everybody's skin, but it's irritation with us while yours is love."

Rogue shook her head and stepped away from him. "It's not love, Bobby. Ah've never said Ah love him. He just drives me crazy at times."

Bobby looked at her long and hard, and then shrugged. "Okay, if you say it's not love, then it's not love, but you just admitted something happened, so what was it?"

The Southern belle merely ignored him and pulled out the device Beast had given her, adjusting the dial until she got a solid reading. "Ah've got something here, Bobby. Let's go."

Bobby chewed on his lip for a moment before following her. She heard him mutter, "You've got something going on, that's for sure. And if I find out that Remy LeBeau is at the center of this, he's gonna regret ever breaking your heart."

Rogue could have argued with him, but what was the point? He was right about Gambit being under her skin. It felt like a condition she would never fully heal from. Instead of dwelling on Gambit, she focused on the strange readings she was getting.

She stopped. "Bobby, do ya hear a – "

Bobby stepped closer to her. "A low humming sound? Yes, I do."

"Wonder what's causin' it?" she asked.

"Don't know, but after I talk to Scott about it, let's go check it out."

Moments later, they saw an entrance to a cave ahead and Rogue glanced at Bobby.

"You ready to go underground?"

"You know I'd follow you anywhere, Rogue," he said with a smirk.

"Drake, ya can be so full of bologna at times."

"Good thing it's my type of favorite sandwich, huh?"

Rogue shook her head. "Honestly, Bobby... sometimes Ah swear Ah don‛t know what will come out of your mouth. As Logan would say, Okay, Igloo, let's get movin'."

"Just remember Scott said to use extreme caution. Let's not give him any surprises."

Rogue nodded and they entered the cave opening, not quite sure what they'd find.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	2. Chapter 2

Remy listened as Jubilee rambled, knowing she was talking to make up for his silent brooding. Instead of asking what had happened between Rogue and him, the teenager spoke of meeting a new neighbor at the market the day before.

As they turned a corner, he saw Logan leaning against a tree, picking at his teeth with one of his claws. Logan had been the smart one by offering to make a loop around their perimeter.

"You kids ready to settle down for class or do ya want recess to last a little longer?" Logan asked with sarcasm ringing in his voice.

Remy didn't say anything; he only made a face at Logan while Jubilee dived into her previous conversation. She began with the same story she had lost Remy on. Remy didn't miss the long looks he was getting from Logan. He knew they came from Logan's concern for Rogue, but he chose not to react, though he was fuming inside. Why did everybody think they could poke their nose into his private affairs?

Shaking his head, Remy moved on to more important things. As Jubilee prattled on about the newest hunk in the neighborhood, Remy adjusted the controls on the tracking device, but there was something else bugging him.

"Quiet, _petit_ ," he whispered and turned the dial again. "Wolverine, do ya hear dat noise?" 

By the time Remy glanced up from the tracking device, Logan had already turned toward the sound. "Yeah, I do, but I don't know what it is. It just started up."

Jubilee stopped and was silent for a moment. "I don't hear anything – "

"Shush, _petit_ , Gambit is onto something here. Do ya wanna take point, Wolverine?"

Logan glanced over his shoulder. "I've got it. Ya jus' make sure to keep the kid clear of trouble."

"Hey, I heard that! I'm not some kid you have to watch out for!" Jubilee shouted to Logan's departing back. Looking to Remy, she added, "Well, I'm not!"

Remy shrugged and gestured for Jubilee to follow him. He hit his comm-badge. "Cyclops, we be trackin' de power source, but now dere's a low hummin' sound in de same direction. Jus' wanted ya to know."

"Understood. Be careful. We don't know exactly what we are dealing with here."

Remy signed off and looked back to the tracking device. "Come on, _petit_ , ya don't wanna keep Wolverine waitin'. _Monsieur_ Summers was right about one thing. Ya be careful here, cuz we don't know what we'll find."

Jubilee nodded and returned to chomping her bubble gum. "You know, you're beginning to sound a lot like Cyclops. I can hold my own against anything we might see here."

Gambit gave her a sharp glance. "Be careful what ya say, _petit_. Ya might get a firsthand lesson in humility if ya don't look out."

As Jubilee fended off his statement with typical teenage confidence, coming up with her own views on the situation, Remy tuned out her long-winded speech, silently agreeing with Logan that Jubilee was much too young to be on a potentially dangerous mission.

"You stay behind me and _dat's_ an order, ya hear?" he warned when she took a moment to breathe.

Logan slowed down and Remy was soon walking beside him. "Cajun, if I find out you're the reason fer Rogue's tears, you're gonna have a lot of explainin' to do."

Remy frowned, his mood suddenly dark. "Stay outta this, Wolverine. What happens between me and Rogue is private."

"Not when it comes to Rogue. She matters to me. Not many people in this world do, so just remember what I said."

"What? And she don't matter to me?" Remy was livid.

"Ya heard me, Gumbo," Logan said as he jogged ahead, leaving Remy alone with his rage. Well, not completely alone, Jubilee was still following him. She caught up to Remy and slipped her arm around his.

"Don't pay any attention to Wolvie's threats. He can be so protective at times that it blinds him to everything else, sometimes even the truth. I know you wouldn't hurt Rogue's feelings on purpose."

Remy pulled away from her. "Ya don't know anyt'ing abou' it, p _etit_. Let's focus on de mission and stop talkin' so much."

She went silent, trailing behind him as they approached a dark opening in the face of the sloping cliff ahead of them. Gambit stopped and sighed, turning back to Jubilee. " _Pardonnez-moi_ , petit. Dere's no reason fer me to take my bad mood out on ya."

Jubilee's expression brightened and she slipped her arm around his again. "It's okay, Gambit. I knew you didn't really mean to bark at me like that. Wolvie just got to you. He does that to a lot of people without even trying."

Remy grunted and shook his head. "You're right, petit, ya ain't no kid. You're wiser dan me and Wolverine put together."

They stepped inside the cave's entrance and Remy couldn't see a thing, because the place was pitch-black inside. For some reason, Remy went immediately on the alert. He didn't like the feel of the place. Not one bit.

"Wolverine, where ya disappear to?" Remy shouted as he pulled out a playing card and charged it with his mutant power of kinetic energy to provide light. Since Jubilee didn't possess that magical ability, she pulled out a slender, but powerful flashlight.

Their individual lights were swallowed up by the cave's vast dimensions. Remy let out a slow whistle as he realized the place went on far beyond what he could see. He saw Logan with his flashlight a short distance away. He waved for them to join him. It took Remy a moment to get his bearings, and then he looked at the device to make sure they were still heading in the right direction.

The low thrumming sound he'd heard earlier was stronger now. "Do ya hear dat noise now?" Remy asked Jubilee as they approached Wolverine.

"Kind of. It's like a humming noise?"

" _Oui, petit_. Gambit was beginnin' to think ya was goin' deaf on him. Maybe too much of dat strange music ya like to play at full blast, _non_?" he said with a devilish smile.

Logan was looking ahead. "I still hear it, Cajun, and it ain't from a natural source. My guess is it's some type of machinery buried deep underground. Somethin' somebody forgot a long time ago judgin' by what we had to crawl through to get into this place."

Remy nodded and Logan took off again, following the walls of the cave. Gambit rushed Jubilee along. "Come on, _petit_ , let's hurry to catch up to Wolverine before he leave us behind," he said as they disappeared into the depths of the dark cave.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Warren had his arm around Jean's shoulders. "So, is the boss man treating you right?" he asked with a conspiratorial wink.

"Yes, Warren. Thanks for asking," she said with a giggle.

"Jean, why is it that we never really had something going between us?"

"Maybe it's because I fell in love with Scott the first time I met him."

"You mean I never had a chance?"

She nodded with mock sadness.

Scott stopped as he adjust the dials on his tracking device. "And you never will," Scott added with a smile.

"Ah, it's just as well," Warren conceded, "I'd probably wind up breaking your heart."

Jean's expression changed and Scott recognized her expression. She was about to discuss the reason that Warren was with them on their current mission. "Is that what happened with Betsy?"

Warren's arm dropped from her shoulder. "No, this time, it was my heart that was broken. Well, not broken, but stomped on pretty hard. It's a good thing I bounce back fast." 

Jean slipped her hand up to Worthington's back. "Well, it's so very good to see you, Warren, even if your heart did have to get stomped on in order to come for a visit."

Warren nodded with a chagrined expression. "Yeah, I know it's been a while since I've come home to see everybody."

Scott was fine-tuning the directional locator of the tracking device when Warren spoke up again. "Scott, you seem edgy about this mission. Why is that? Is there some danger you haven't told us?"

Scott glanced up, catching his gaze. "I – I don't know why, but I've felt it ever since Beast first showed me the energy readings. I wish the Professor was here. He might have been able to shed more light about our situation."

"He probably could have, but he's visiting Lilandra at the Shi'ar home world," Jean said as she stepped over to Scott. "Scott, I don't sense anyone down here, but ourselves."

Warren stopped in his tracks. "You know, Jean, you might be right. I just noticed we haven't seen any sign of animal life here since we arrived. No birds, no animals, no nothing, not even insects."

Jean glanced to Worthington and then back to Scott. "He might be right, Scott. I don't know why I didn't catch it myself."

"Maybe we just weren't paying attention. I mean, Cambodia is known for its diverse wildlife. Maybe they are mostly nocturnal."

"Even the birds? I don't think so," Warren said grimly. "What are you seeing on the tracker?"

"Nothing much. We better get moving and see if we can find some light to shed on the subject. I always love a good mystery," Jean said, slipping an arm around each of them.

"Yes, Mrs. Summers. Whatever you say," Scott replied, kissing her on the cheek.

"Oh, plu-ease!" Warren grumbled, "I'm not real hot on love at the moment. If you two want to do that, please do it in the Blackbird and far away from me."

Jean was laughing at Warren's dramatic statement when Scott stopped. He slipped out of Jean's hold and took a few steps away.

"What is it, Scott?" Jean asked as she started back towards him.

He began to answer her when her foot caught on the uneven ground, and she twisted her ankle. She hit her head on a rocky outcropping as she fell and crumpled to the ground. Both he and Warren reached out to catch her, but she was beyond their grasp. 

"Jean!" Scott exclaimed.

As they knelt beside her, she murmured words of pain mixed with anger. "Are you okay?" Scott asked, putting his hand to a spot on her forehead that was bleeding.

"I'm fine. I just hit my head when I fell," she paused as she moved her foot and grimaced. "And I think I sprained my ankle."

"I can fly her back to the Blackbird," Warren said, looking to Scott for orders.

"Do it," Scott replied before Jean could complain.

Warren picked Jean up, holding her carefully in his arms as he took to the sky, his powerful wings creating the lift he needed.

"Thanks, Warren," Scott called out to him.

Jean looked up at Warren and shook her head. "I could have flown there myself, and saved you the trouble, Warren. It wouldn't take long to fix up my ankle, and I would have been back to you before anyone would know I was gone."

"Just let me play hero of the hour, okay? Besides, Scott would want to be sure you're okay before you tried anything like flying. Frankly, you don't look like you could lift a leaf at the moment."

Jean put her fingers to his lips, silencing him. "Shush, I'm already embarrassed enough for twisting my ankle. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going."

She moaned and brought a hand to her head. Warren tightened his hold on her. She looked pale all of a sudden. "What is it, Jean?

Jean slumped against him. Warren almost stopped in mid-air. He whispered her name several times, but she didn't respond. 

"Warren, what's wrong? I just sensed something from Jean."

"She passed out."

There was a pause before Summers replied. "I can be there in a couple of minutes."

Warren bit his lip. "There's nothing you could do to take care of her that I can't do myself. Go on ahead and check out that energy anomaly. I'll contact you as soon as I have more news on Jean."

Once they arrived at the Blackbird, Warren placed Jean on one of the emergency cots and opened the med-kit, acting on automatic pilot, doing the basics of first aid until he could get a better idea of her injuries.

Glancing back to Jean, he bit his lip. She didn't look any better. In fact, her skin seemed even more pale than before.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Ororo Munroe looked to Hank McCoy and smiled at his ability to focus completely on his work. A nuclear blast could happen right beside him, but if he was concentrating on something else, he wouldn't react until he was vaporized by the blast.

Glancing upward, Hank hesitated. "Why are you smiling at me, Ororo? Did I miss something?"

"No, Hank, I was just watching you at work."

Hank looked a bit embarrassed. "Well, these readings simply do not make any sense. Their random nature seems determined to elude understanding, but never fear. We shall persevere. It appears we must enter the cave in order to get a closer look."

Hank must have detected her apprehension, because when he touched her arm and said, "You could remain out here while I go inside to investigate."

Ororo took a deep breath. "No, Scott wanted us to stay together. Besides, judging by those readings, it is a very large cave. I should be fine."

Ororo tapped her comm-badge. "Cyclops, we are preparing to enter the cave from the north."

"Understood, Storm. The other teams are entering from the east and west. Keep me updated on your progress."

"Roger, Scott. Signing off."

As Ororo finished with Scott, she put a hand to one ear. "Do you hear a humming sound?"

Hank nodded as he aimed the tracker toward the sound. "It seems to be coming from the same direction of the energy source.

She could see he was debating with himself over what to do. Finally, he nodded and looked back to the tracker. "Come, Watson, the game is afoot," he said as he took off in pursuit of the energy source.

Ororo chuckled, despite her claustrophobia and rushed to catch up. Hank was always entertaining. Besides, they wouldn't have to wait long. If they did come across the energy source, they would call the others in and she could wait outside while they investigated the situation.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Come on, Rogue, talk to me," Bobby asked after her gaze turned distant again and tears welled up in her eyes, trying once again to determine the cause of Rogue's pain.

Bobby gave up when she ignored him. Sighing in frustration, he pulled out his flashlight as Rogue did the same thing. Soon, they had more light to see with, but it didn't do much compared with the unending darkness before them. What little they could see revealed an intricate path of eddies and flows that seemed to go on forever.

Rogue took to the air and circled above Bobby. "Bobby, Ah'm gonna fly ahead and see if Ah can get a better idea of what's here."

"Wait, Rogue, remember Scott said we had to stay together."

Rogue turned and hovered in the air above him. "Ah can pick ya up to fly with me or ya can follow me on your ice sled."

"No, I'm not too keen on flying. No offense, but I'd rather provide my own transportation. Just wait a sec."

He put a hand forward and started generated enough cold to create an ice sled. As he started to move forward, he said, "Don't go too fast or get out of my sight. Otherwise, Scott will bust both of us for not following orders. And that's just like being sent to the principle's office. I never could stand that."

Rogue waved one hand in the air. "Come on, slowpoke, we don‛t have all day."

Bobby frowned and stared at her. "What‛s got you all fired up? There‛s no time limit on this mission."

Rogue continued to wave a hand, urging him to speed up. He did, soon joining her where she waited in the air. "Well, what are you waiting for, beautiful? Let‛s move."

Rogue chuckled and lunged forward. Soon, she was ahead of him again. "Yo, Rogue, I don't do supersonic ice sleds!"

"Sorry, Bobby, how about you go at your speed and I'll meet you back here."

"This is embarrassing, Rogue. Besides, Scott said to stay together."

"I'll just be a minute, Sugah. Be right back."

"Rogue, come on!"

She paused at his comment. "Ya gonna be okay fer a few minutes til Ah get back?"

Bobby shook his head. "You are one headstrong lady. Yeah, yeah, I guess. I'll try to survive without you. I still don't like the idea of us splitting up."

Rogue blew him a kiss and zoomed ahead. Bobby bit his lip as he watched Rogue fly away. He shouldn't have let her go, knowing Scott's orders were quite specific about staying within visual contact with one another. Well, Bobby could almost make out the light from Rogue's flashlight, so technically she was still within visual range.

He tapped his comm-badge. "Cyke, Rogue and I are heading into the cave following the energy readings. I'll let you know what we find."

"Roger that, Bobby. The other two teams are also in the cave. I'll be there shortly. Just keep your eyes open."

"Hey, I sleep with my eyes open."

"Riiiight." Scott didn't say anything else. He just switched off the comm-badge, a gesture that made Bobby smile. He loved shooting off quips at Scott, mostly because Scott never knew quite how to respond to his wacky sense of humor.

The terrain was uneven and treacherous in parts, but with his ice sled, he was making good time. He expected to see Rogue ahead any moment, but she had disappeared from sight.

"Ah, crap, Cyke's gonna have my hide on this one. Rogue! Rogue, answer me!"

Bobby slapped one hand over his ear as the low humming sound Rogue had mentioned earlier suddenly became painful. His other hand was involved in perpetuating the ice sled. He couldn't see Rogue anywhere. _Where the hell could she have gone?_

He shouted as loud as he could. "ROGUE!"

All he heard was the echo of his own voice reverberating back at him. Cursing under his breath, he poured on the speed, still looking in the direction that he last saw Rogue.

After shouting for her again, he waited for an answer, but none came. Nothing but the immensity of the subterranean cavern and that damned humming sound that was getting louder with each passing moment.

Bobby was so intent on looking ahead, he didn't notice when the first stalactites began to fall. Instead, it was the destruction of his ice sled below that caught his attention. He was moving along fast enough not to be thrown from the sled, but he noticed the ground below him was shaking.

"Damn, an earthquake," he muttered but didn't have long to ponder the situation.

He narrowly missed the fall of a huge stalactite and looked up to see it followed by many more breaking loose from the ceiling above him. He quickly formed a protective shield to hold above him, but his powers were spread too thin and the pounding of the sled by the falling debris and the shaking ground below caused his ice sled to break up.

Bobby cried out as he tumbled downward. Aiming a hand toward the ground, he managed to make a small ramp so that he could slide instead of crashing to the ground, but another stalactite hit the ramp dead center and it shattered into a million pieces.

Bobby tried to create another ramp, but time and gravity were against him. Instead, he covered the ground below him with snow, but he was falling too fast to make it thick enough to help. He hit the ground hard and screamed as he heard the sickening sound of bone breaking. The agony he felt only confirmed it.

He rolled over, holding the injured left arm to his chest, trying to ride out the waves of pain and nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. "Gotta call for help," he whispered and reached up to hit his comm-badge.

Before he could speak, he saw more debris falling from above and rolled out of the way of one, only to see another falling right at him. He threw up another thick ice shield as he hissed through clenched teeth. He hoped the shield would be enough to protect him from more harm, but the staggering amount of debris hitting his shield reverberated down one arm and carried over to the other. His broken arm was killing him as his nausea worsened and he suddenly found himself covered with sweat.

"What the heck?" he asked aloud. "I never sweat. That's not... a... good sign."

He gasped for air as his temporary ice shield finally broke, and he was pelleted with more falling rock, but luckily it was much smaller in size. His body hurt in a dozen places, and he didn't have the time to check how badly he was injured. In fact, he'd run out of time altogether as the darkness swallowed him up, and then he didn't feel anything anymore.

**oOoOoOoOo**


End file.
